Afternoon, there is no stopping the rise: from the 'nightmare in Doha' to the honest match against Brazil
Although Japan's loss in the Last-32 against Brazil in extra time was painful, it is a clear proof of the enormous development of their futbol in the last decades.
From their first participation in France 1998 to the match against Brazil in the World Cup 2026, Japan has proven that it is a strong and serious force in world football. The latest defeat was painful—an extra-time loss in the Last-32 against one of the most gifted nations in history—but it also served as a sign of their great progress.
Before arriving at this stage, Japan went through the 'Doha nightmare' in 1993. In the fight against Iraq for the historic ticket to the United States 1994, the dream seemed within reach until Iraq's late equalizer came. The team then included the current coach, Hajime Moriyasu—a wound that has long been remembered by futbol in Japan.
The door was opened in France 1998: three defeats (Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica) followed, but they scored their first World Cup goal through Masashi Nakayama. In 2002, as co-hosts with South Korea, the level jumped: beating Russia and Tunisia to get past the group and into the Round of 16 before falling to Turkey—their best finish to that point.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://tmw-storage-auto.tcccdn.com/storage/tuttomercatoweb.com/img_notizie/thumb3/25/251f6dc72fcc9986292c44e3b781b03a-46572-oooz0000.jpeg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>Germany 2006 faltered (just one point), but bounced back in South Africa 2010: back Round of 16 after wins against Cameroon and Denmark, before being eliminated in a penalty shootout against Paraguay. Disappointment followed in Brazil 2014 (one point again), but it was here that the real flight began.
At Russia 2018, advanced to the knockouts again and became the first Asian country to guide a South American team to the World Cup by defeating Colombia. In the Round of 16, they almost upset Belgium: from 2-0 ahead, they were shocked to reverse 3-2 in the last minutes—even though they left defeated, they had the respect of the world.
The climb didn't end there. At Qatar 2022, Samurai Blue surprised everyone by beating Germany and Spain to top the group. The penalty shootout was an obstacle again in the Round of 16, this time against Croatia.
And now in 2026, after another solid campaign in the group, Japan fought back in the Last-32 against Brazil only to stumble in extra time. It hurts, yes—but the message is clear: Japan is at a level that can keep up with the best, and the next challenge is to make the long-cherished quarterfinals and beyond a reality.
